Spanish Fork temple hosts celebration for birth of Krishna | Faith

People gathered at the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork on Saturday to celebrate the birth of Krishna with food, music and dancing.

Caru Das, a priest at the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple, said Janmastami is an important day for Hindus and is comparable to Christmas for worshippers.

“It’s free of charge and everyone is welcome there,” Das said. “They don’t have to be a member, devotee or worshipper. People can come enjoy a free cultural program and learn about something outside of their experiences.”

At Saturday’s celebration, there was food, music and dancing from multiple groups and a devotional drama from members of the congregation.

“There are differences in things like in dress and worship style, but there are also a lot similarities,” Das said.

There were also recreations of some of the past times that Krishna would have enjoyed. For example, yogurt used to be storied in clay pots and suspended in the air to protect it. People would form human pyramids to get to those pots.

“We call on any offensive BYU lineman that might be attending to help and get people on the other levels and replicate that,” Das said. “In India, they might get 10 or 12 levels, but here we keep it to three for safety reasons.”

There will also be a Janmastami celebration at the Salt Lake City Krishna Temple on Tuesday from 7 p.m. until midnight.

In addition to their Janmastami celebration, the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple also hosts several other festivals throughout the year that are open to the public, including the Holi Festival of Colors in the spring and the India Fest in September. The temple also hosts regular yoga classes that people can participate in.

“It’s just our cultural tradition, we don’t do things in a vacuum,” Das said. “We invite people to participate and taste the communal spiritual event and apply…